2019 Bahrain F1 GP - Sakhir

[Nitrodaze]

https://www.formula1.com/content/dam/fom-website/ooyala-videos/2016/3/JqcDVmMjE6yXSW4CGvKe6NfXoXBS7b4J.transform/9col/image.jpg

https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2012/04/Bahrain-F1-GP-Auto-Ra_Horo-640x400.jpg

The first race of the season threw up some surprises. The Ferrari was suppose to turn up and smash the opposition into dust with a one two. And Redbull was suppose to get into the hair of the Mercedes and ruffle their designer hair do. But Mercedes came and stole the show, smashing the opposition. To add spice to the surprise, Bottas won the race in a Mercedes one two beating a wounded Hamilton by a crushing 20 seconds.

Redbull found themselves ruffling the Ferrari feathers with Verstapenn stealing the third spot podium place from Vettel who later found himself at the mercy of his rookie teammate with fresher tyres.

All of this brings us to Bahrain with a number of questions that we want answers to.

Firstly, what happened to the Ferrari pace at Melbourne?
Did Mercedes actually recover so much performance, enough to be faster than the Ferrari?
Would Ferrari be able to unleash the full potential of their car in Bahrain?
Was Bottas' performance at Melbourne a blip that would see him return to the rear of the top two [Hamilton and Vettel] in Bahrain?
Can Leclerc out qualify Vettel in Bahrain|? If so would Ferrari allow him to win the race?
Would we see the true effect of the rules change at this track layout?

And the list of questions go on and on. One thing is certain, Bahrain is an eagerly awaited race

https://cdn-2.motorsport.com/images/mgl/YvxzmJv0/s8/f1-bahrain-gp-2017-grid-girl-for-jolyon-palmer-renault-sport-f1-team.jpg
Spare a thought for Najah Yusuf a mother of three imprisoned at the Isa Town Prison where it is said she is regularly beaten,tortured and sexually assulted by her captors for criticizing the state's expense on Formula one.

[Tazio]

Don't forget! :(

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/mar/27/najah-yusuf-prison-f1-bahrain-grand-prix?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

[Nitrodaze]

Don't forget! :(

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/mar/27/najah-yusuf-prison-f1-bahrain-grand-prix?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Dear lord, this is horrible. It has completely changed my perspective of the Bahrain Grandprix. I wonder if the FIA and Liberty Media has seen this, or has money trumped concern for human rights. I am very disgusted by this. I can say, knowing of this woman's plight would not allow me to enjoy this racing weekend.

[Starter]

Don't forget! :(

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/mar/27/najah-yusuf-prison-f1-bahrain-grand-prix?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Sorry, but I have to wonder about the authenticity of that article. It may be true, but seems a little too polished and articulate.

[Franky]

Sorry, but I have to wonder about the authenticity of that article. It may be true, but seems a little too polished and articulate.

Doesn't change the fact that there are serious human rights issues in Bahrain.

[Zico]

Sorry, but I have to wonder about the authenticity of that article. It may be true, but seems a little too polished and articulate.

Yeah, Its hard to tell what is real or fake news these days but I suspect its probably legit?

Looks like Lewis and some other F1 troops are being encouraged to try snd bust her out of prison...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/motorsports/world-champion-lewis-hamilton-and-f1-chiefs-urged-to-help-jailed-bahraini-activist-najah-yusuf/ar-BBVjDTC?li=AA9SkIr

[Starter]

Doesn't change the fact that there are serious human rights issues in Bahrain.
Yeah, no question about that. True of most of the gulf states.

[Tazio]

Yeah, Its hard to tell what is real or fake news these days but I suspect its probably legit?

Looks like Lewis and some other F1 troops are being encouraged to try snd bust her out of prison...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/motorsports/world-champion-lewis-hamilton-and-f1-chiefs-urged-to-help-jailed-bahraini-activist-najah-yusuf/ar-BBVjDTC?li=AA9SkIr

Sorry, but I have to wonder about the authenticity of that article. It may be true, but seems a little too polished and articulate. I'm confident that it's the real enchilada dawg!
Let's go racing boyz! :dork:

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--kWz7GbO8--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/wjwedyu2ncfs2zux1nff.jpg

[journeyman racer]

Well, this thread has had an unfortunate derailment.

Bahrain has form.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/new-australian-hakeem-al-araibi-says-he-just-wants-to-focus-on-football

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/i-love-australia-hakeem-al-araibi-arrives-back-home-after-thai-prison-ordeal

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/questions-raised-over-thailand-and-bahrain-s-close-ties-as-hakeem-al-araibi-s-detention-continues

[The Black Knight]

Yeah, Its hard to tell what is real or fake news these days but I suspect its probably legit?

Looks like Lewis and some other F1 troops are being encouraged to try snd bust her out of prison...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/motorsports/world-champion-lewis-hamilton-and-f1-chiefs-urged-to-help-jailed-bahraini-activist-najah-yusuf/ar-BBVjDTC?li=AA9SkIr

I don’t know about the article but the woman’s situation is real. I first heard about this a while back. Basically she posts anti-f1 race comments on Facebook and then asks F1 for help getting out of prison. Irony much?

We all know she shouldn’t be in prison to begin with but she also knew full well that Bahrain isn’t exactly renowned for its human rights record, more renowned for its intolerance. Hopefully she gets out but F1 is a sporting event and I cannot see them interfering in the political stratosphere.

[Nitrodaze]

I don’t know about the article but the woman’s situation is real. I first heard about this a while back. Basically she posts anti-f1 race comments on Facebook and then asks F1 for help getting out of prison. Irony much?

We all know she shouldn’t be in prison to begin with but she also knew full well that Bahrain isn’t exactly renowned for its human rights record, more renowned for its intolerance. Hopefully she gets out but F1 is a sporting event and I cannot see them interfering in the political stratosphere.

The fight for freedom usually start with one brave and solitary voice like that of Najar's. We who live to the west take our freedoms for granted because it is protected by law. When we enjoy a spectacle such as F1 in a country where such a spectacle is at he expense of the misery and human rights infringement of citizens of the hosting country, we should not turn our faces away from their plight. Regardless of whether their aim is contrary to our enjoyment. We must frown at injustices wherever we find them on this planet.

[The Black Knight]

The fight for freedom usually start with one brave and solitary voice like that of Najar's. We who live to the west take our freedoms for granted because it is protected by law. When we enjoy a spectacle such as F1 in a country where such a spectacle is at he expense of the misery and human rights infringement of citizens of the hosting country, we should not turn our faces away from their plight. Regardless of whether their aim is contrary to our enjoyment. We must frown at injustices wherever we find them on this planet.

Of course, always frown at injustice like this and, as I said, she shouldn’t be in jail . I won’t continue down this topic of conversation because it’ll just deflect from the weekend. Hopefully she’ll be released soon.

[Starter]

The fight for freedom usually start with one brave and solitary voice like that of Najar's. We who live to the west take our freedoms for granted because it is protected by law. When we enjoy a spectacle such as F1 in a country where such a spectacle is at he expense of the misery and human rights infringement of citizens of the hosting country, we should not turn our faces away from their plight. Regardless of whether their aim is contrary to our enjoyment. We must frown at injustices wherever we find them on this planet.
We also tend to take our freedoms for granted because it's been so long since our own ancestors had to fight for them. People forget that vigilance for freedom never ends.

[Starter]

So what's the scoop on P1 & P2? (They were on ESPNU here and that's not part of my package.)

[truefan72]

So what's the scoop on P1 & P2? (They were on ESPNU here and that's not part of my package.)

just view online at watch espn

[Nitrodaze]

So what's the scoop on P1 & P2? (They were on ESPNU here and that's not part of my package.)

1. Vettel
2. Leclerc
3. Hamilton
4. Bottas
5. Hulkenburg
6. Verstapenn
7. Magnussen
8. Norris
9. Grojean
10. Kyvat
11. Sainz
12. Gasly
13. Albon
14. Perez
15. Ricciado
16. Raikonenn
17. Stroll
18. Giovinazzi
19. Russell
20. Kubica

This is not representative of what would happen in qualifying. But Ferrari is 0.603 seconds ahead of Mercedes. This is reminiscent of their Barcelona pace, but l think Mercedes is closer than this, l would think at least 0.3 or 0.2 sec closer.

[Starter]

1. Vettel
2. Leclerc
3. Hamilton
4. Bottas
5. Hulkenburg
6. Verstapenn
7. Magnussen
8. Norris
9. Grojean
10. Kyvat
11. Sainz
12. Gasly
13. Albon
14. Perez
15. Ricciado
16. Raikonenn
17. Stroll
18. Giovinazzi
19. Russell
20. Kubica

This is not representative of what would happen in qualifying. But Ferrari is 0.603 seconds ahead of Mercedes. This is reminiscent of their Barcelona pace, but l think Mercedes is closer than this, l would think at least 0.3 or 0.2 sec closer.
Thanks.

[The Black Knight]

Binotto Has confirmed that Ferrari were pushing its engines harder yesterday. It’ll be a lot closer today:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/142439/ferrari-says-its-practice-pace-is-misleading

[journeyman racer]

After the AGP. The question to be answered is can Bottas produce a similar performance this weekend?

That doesn't necessarily mean winning like he did at Albert Park. Even if Hamilton had pipped him into the first corner and won, that was the most potent performance by Bottas at MB. Sometimes you can perform well but not necessarily win, so effort doesn't equal results.

But it certainly changes the context of the championship if Bottas can go toe to toe with Hamilton throughout the first part of the season.

[Tazio]

Quali dawgz. Alright McNorris! :dork:

[truefan72]

So far in qualy. I'm really happy for leclerc and also mclaren cars. Renault need to get their act together. RBR are off the pace. What's going on with Gasley? Hass also looking strong.
On a side note. Alonso must be questioning his decisions. Leaves Ferrari and they get good again. Retires from F1 and the mclaren looks like a rejuvinated outfit solidly in Q3's now.

[Nitrodaze]

So far in qualy. I'm really happy for leclerc and also mclaren cars. Renault need to get their act together. RBR are off the pace. What's going on with Gasley? Hass also looking strong.
On a side note. Alonso must be questioning his decisions. Leaves Ferrari and they get good again. Retires from F1 and the mclaren looks like a rejuvinated outfit solidly in Q3's now.

Great to see Mclaren showing solid pace and beating Renaul and Redbull at this stage. Hope they can keep it up in quali 3.

[Nitrodaze]

I think Leclerc is the man to beat this weekend. The mercedes, oh where has their pace gone?

[truefan72]

Wow. What a lap for Leclerc. Congrats. p3 for Hamilton p4 bottas. Mercedes closed the gap though. I'll take it. Vettel redeemed himself. Super lap for kimi too. Good qualy session from the entire top 10

[Tazio]

Congrat's to McLerc! Will Ferrari let him race for the win?

[truefan72]

Congrat's to McLerc! Will Ferrari let him race for the win?

One can only hope. I think if he gets a good start then its his race to lose

[The Black Knight]

Delighted for Leclerc. I think there’s a good chance he’ll have the beating of Vettel over the course of this year as long as reliability stays equal. Am not surprised given his F2 performances that he is giving him a hard time already. The pairing of those two is going to be a very interesting team battle.

It was a close enough qualifying afterwards. It appears that Ferrari can consistently deploy party mode for longer than Mercedes but Mercedes ended up pretty close in the end so I wouldn’t be very disheartened if I were Mercedes.

Looking forward to the race.

[N4D13]

Congrat's to McLerc! Will Ferrari let him race for the win?
I think people have been blowing Ferrari's team orders at Oz fully out of proportion. It made all the sense of the world for any team principal, not just Binotto, to tell both drivers to hold station when they're in 4th and 5th and there's no way that either of them could grab 3rd place. There was no benefit at all for the team to let them race, but the risk of an accident would have been much higher.

Now, if there's anything I'd criticize about Ferrari in Australia, it would be that they didn't pit either driver for fresh tyres in an attempt to grab the fastest lap of the race, which would have been the clever thing to do IMO.

Besides, today's result clearly shows that Leclerc is not going to settle for a No. 2 status at Ferrari, and the top brass have most certainly taken note of his performance. If anything, unless Vettel passes him into Turn 1, my question would be whether Seb would be allowed to challenge his teammate for the win. It wouldn't be popular with the fans, but it would also make sense for Ferrari to order them to hold station if they were 1st and 2nd after the first corner, regardless of who was leading.

[Tazio]

Mercedes race pace says they are equal or a couple tenths faster than "the Scud's". I'm looking forward to a real cracker of a race!

[Nitrodaze]

Mercedes race pace says they are equal or a couple tenths faster than "the Scud's". I'm looking forward to a real cracker of a race!

Mercedes has probably setup for the race. But that Ferrari pace coupled with DRS would be hard to keep behind or overtake. There might be opportunities at the start of the race, especially if Vettel tries to steal the lead from Leclerc at the first corner. Hamilton would certainly pounce. It is looking like a race where Ferrari would disappear into the distance.

[Nitrodaze]

I think we are seeing the start of a new era. Like Hamilton arrived in F1 to upset the status quo of Alonso being the number 1 driver at Mclaren, Leclerc has arrived to upset the Vettel party. If Ferrari is consistently dominant throughout the season, the title fight could be an inhouse battle between Leclerc and Vettel, much like Hamilton and Rosberg. I really wonder if Ferrari can handle such a situation without interfering. I think, without interference, Leclerc could win his first F1 title in his first season in Ferrari colours.

To be fair, it is not quite like the Mercedes situation where Ferrari was languishing well behind. On this occasion, Mercedes is very close behind and fast enough to capitalize on any opportunity that presents itself. Unfortunately, l think Ferrari may be forced to support the first driver to establish a clear lead, to keep Mercedes in check.

That said, can Mercedes find more performance in their package. There seem to be ample scope for development in this new car. In a few races time, chances are that the advantage may swing to Mercedes. In which case, it would be very hard not see Hamilton as a potential title winner in the broader scheme of things.

[Zico]

Absolutely delighted for Charles... can we call him Charlie? Big statement of intent which will no doubt have really rattled Sebs cage...The first corner is going to be very interesting and may well decide whether the Mercs are going to be able to get in amongst them.

Bears all the hallmarks of being a real cracker. Really looking forward to this one! :D

[Duncan]

Wow. That was seriously amazing. A few thoughts:

1. Finally, we legitimately have a championship on our hands. Ferrari clearly have the fastest car right now at this track, but it's very close between them and Mercedes, with Lewis only a few hundredths behind Seb. This should really be a great season, and plenty of potential for a serious fight between Charles, Seb, Lewis and Valtteri, at the very least.
2. Are McLaren back? On the basis of what we can see so far, it looks incredibly promising, but too early to be definitive. At least on single lap pace they're definitely in the right place (finally). Hope that continues. With any luck, we might actually see both McLaren and Haas nipping at the heels of the top three sooner rather than later.
3. Williams... Oy Vey.
4. I hope Ricciardo is looking at his current path as a long-term project. I think he may be waiting a while to see opportunities for podiums given where Renault seem to be. And given Gasly's poor showing, I'm sure RBR wouldn't mind taking him back too.

[journeyman racer]

I think we are seeing the start of a new era. Like Hamilton arrived in F1 to upset the status quo of Alonso being the number 1 driver at Mclaren,
Hamilton had been with McLaren for longer than Alonso had been in car racing.

[Nitrodaze]

Much like l said in my Melbourne GP post, this season, Hamilton is fighting both Ferrari drivers and possibly Bottas for the title this season. This is looking like it is going to be the hardest season for Mercedes since the inception on the hybrid era.

I suppose, it all comes down to how well Ferrari can manage their operations this season. As such, while it is exciting to see Leclerc deliver on his promise of giving Vettel a hard time. It is too early to say Ferrari has this season in the bag. We have seen this sort of form from Ferrari in the past, they look great on track but not so on the pit wall. The change at the top may provide the necessary ingredient to ensure they keep things steady all through the year. If they do, then it would be very hard for Mercedes to beat them.

I think the shoe is on the other foot this time round. Mercedes is slower than the Ferrari. Hence, their operations must be excellent at every race weekend to ensure they keep the pressure on Ferrari. Any slip up by Mercedes would see the title fight finish early in the season. The question is who's name shall be top of the leader board? Leclerc or Vettel?

Can Hamilton steal the show from under Ferrari's nose and bag his sixth world title. Which would nothing short of sensational. Hamilton would need to drive out of his skin this time round to beat those rapid Ferrari. Leclerc is going to be problematic for both Vettel and Hamilton and they know it.

[Tazio]

Morning boyz :wave:
Looking forward to an exciting race!

[Tazio]

Windy dawgz!

[Tazio]

Alright the boss!

[truefan72]

Verstappen showing his dirty driving again

[truefan72]

Leclerc takes the lead and a proper fight!

[truefan72]

Stroll smh
Come on Ricciardo go get verstappen who said the only time he will see you is when he laps you

[Tazio]

Verstappen showing his dirty driving again:stareup: yup!

[N4D13]

Verstappen showing his dirty driving again
As much as it pains me to say this, I think that was Max's corner and it was Sainz who was in the wrong here. Verstappen's defense was hard but clean.

[N4D13]

And Bottas is 4 seconds behind Hamilton after 8 laps. So much for his title contender status.

[truefan72]

Verstappen showing his dirty driving again maybe mad max red mist got me. Probably a racing incident. Although...under investigation now

[truefan72]

So much action. What a race so far

[truefan72]

Hamilton coming. But a costly lockup. Damn. Should go for the undercut. Leclerc super impressive right now

[Tazio]

Alright the boss!

[truefan72]

I hope mercedes hasn't screwed hamiltons race hoping for a safety car

[gm99]

Vettel's race pace is not very good.

[truefan72]

No action for giovinazzi for punting off kvyatt??

[truefan72]

I'm really baffled why mercedes put hamilton on softs. It was obvious to everyone with half a brain that the mediums were the race tire. Once again the mercedes engineers with a pathetic blunder

[truefan72]

Time to pit Hamilton

[Tazio]

sorrrrrrry :dork:

[truefan72]

Oh dear vettel

[truefan72]

Really didnt want to see that for vettel. First the spin then the wing.

[gm99]

Another costly mistake by Vettel.

[truefan72]

Renault fight. That was close

[N4D13]

Ricciardo continues showing very little appreciation for his front wings.

[truefan72]

That could habe been all tears for renault.

[gm99]

Oh no, engine Problems for Leclerc. That would be a real shame!

[Tazio]

McLerc in trouble!:idea:

[donKey jote]

balls :-/

[truefan72]

Oh no leclerc! Ferrari engine troubles?
This is ridiculous. Poor charles. Wtf Ferrari?
He should habe enough to save p2

[Tazio]

Alright the boss!

[truefan72]

Brundel is right leclerc needs to drive the car with anger if he wants to keep a podium. Relex charles and bring it home

[N4D13]

Sainz' misjudgement during his fight with Verstappen might have just cost McLaren their first podium in ages. :-/

[truefan72]

Sainz' misjudgement during his fight with Verstappen might have just cost McLaren their first podium in ages. :-/
Absolutely

[truefan72]

Vettel's mistake was costly. The failed ferrari engine in leclerc devastating

[gm99]

Wow, both Renaults retire on the same lap. That just might save Leclerc's podium...

[truefan72]

Renault comedy of errors. Wtf renault??? Poor hulkenberg. Ricciardo needs to up his game. Norris doing a phenominal job. Safety car will save leclerc a p3. What a race

[Tazio]

Wow! :dork:

[The Black Knight]

Am absolutely gutted for Leclerc - he deserved to win this. What a performance he put. He was simply amazing.

[truefan72]

How hamilton won and mercedes got a 1-2 against a dominant ferrari should be an episode in the twilight zone.
Take a bow Leclerc. At least he got a podium

[Starter]

Hamilton showed a lot of class in going to Leclerc at the end to congratulate him for the showing.

[Duncan]

What a race! Lots to say about today, but my biggest thought is that F1 suddenly got a lot more interesting.

Gutted for Leclerc. Really deserved the win, and despite being a Hamilton fan I was rooting for him in the last few laps. Still, his first win can't be far away. Terrific drive from him today.

Also a great drive from Hamilton, holding on to the back of Vettel despite a weirdly suboptimal tyre strategy, and passing what should have been the faster car once they were back on the same compound. Could be just a random unfortunate slip from Vettel, but he does seem to make stupid mistakes when he's under pressure. Threw away a lot of potential points for Ferrari with that spin.

Awesome showing from Lando Norris too. I was really expecting Kimi would round him up in the last few laps, but somehow he managed to hold on with Kimi what must have been crawling all over his gearbox, based on the gap showing on the timing pylon. Shame we didn't get to see it on the world feed; I'll have to go back and watch replays on F1 TV. And dare we say that McLaren is really back yet? Early days, but really promising race pace on top of the great qualifying pace. If they can just eliminate some of the unfortunate errors that put both drivers on the back foot early on, they could be looking really good. A podium can't be too far away.

I was obviously a little over harsh on Renault before the race; race pace looked much better than I was expecting given qualifying performance. If only they could a) stop driving into each other and b) not have their engines blow up they'd be in really good shape. Weird strategy on Ricciardo didn't help, but didn't matter in the end.

One last thing: I really hope that the world feed directors adjust to the new reality of a lot of stuff going on during the race and seriously cut back the amount of time they devote to replays. That was getting really annoying...

[Nitrodaze]

What a change of fortune? Poor Leclerc!

Bottas and Verstapenn may overtake him as well.

This is Formula one, it can be grossly unfair sometimes

[Nitrodaze]

Gearbox problems for Hamilton. There may be more drama yet.

[Nitrodaze]

Renault double DNF. I bet Redbull are chuckling

[airshifter]

Extremely mature race by Leclerc. From the recovery to his poor start, to dominating the pace when the car was holding together, to not losing his crap in the cockpit, and all the way through his post race remarks. Praise for the team after losing what should have been his first race win, rather than beating them up for it. I hope we see the car stay together and compete well enough to see him take a top step on the podium soon, he really deserves it.

As for Lewis and Bottas, humble in their positions and giving Leclerc all the credit he deserved. Both knew they got lucky, and got gave credit where credit is due.

As for the rest of the race, quite a bit of action everywhere. There were very few times when someone wasn't fighting for position on track, and that midfield action stayed fairly tight.


Oh yeah, Seb. Once again screwing himself when there was no need, and giving away positions. It would be great to see him battle through part of the field to a decent finish if he wasn't the one that caused the loss of positions for a change. If things keep up, Charles is going to be deep into his head within a couple more races. Prepare for the whining to begin!

Gasly dog of the race IMO. Though Renault lost both cars and Ricciardo had a strange strategy move, I think RB are probably already wishing they either managed to keep Daniel on, or found a better driver to replace him. Only time will tell.

Mclaren might be back in the hunt. Very surprised that Norris managed to hold Kimi off at the end, and it took some good driving as well as a decent car.

Speaking of Kimi...... He's currently 6th in the standings in the Alfa Romeo. Who would have thought it could happen?

[Duncan]

Gasly dog of the race IMO. Though Renault lost both cars and Ricciardo had a strange strategy move, I think RB are probably already wishing they either managed to keep Daniel on, or found a better driver to replace him. Only time will tell.

Yes, something is clearly not right there. Gasly's performances have for sure not been not up to where they should be, which is curious given his prior performance in the Toro Rosso. He has alluded to issues with grip, and especially getting the tyres into the right zone. Sounds like some major issues getting to grips with the setup in the new car. Hopefully he and his race engineer can sort this out, because he's definitely a talented driver.

Also, Kimi: I was literally laughing out loud at the exchange he had with his engineer about front wing damage. Ice Man is still the Ice Man... classic Kimi.

[Nitrodaze]

Yes, something is clearly not right there. Gasly's performances have for sure not been not up to where they should be, which is curious given his prior performance in the Toro Rosso. He has alluded to issues with grip, and especially getting the tyres into the right zone. Sounds like some major issues getting to grips with the setup in the new car. Hopefully he and his race engineer can sort this out, because he's definitely a talented driver.

Also, Kimi: I was literally laughing out loud at the exchange he had with his engineer about front wing damage. Ice Man is still the Ice Man... classic Kimi.

Gasly has setup issues. He was complaining that the car snaps to the right whenever he tries to put the power down. I would not cast the blame on Gastly yet, but certainly his engineers are not doing a good job for him.

I think we all know Gasly is faster than he is showing at the moment.

[truefan72]

Gasly has setup issues. He was complaining that the car snaps to the right whenever he tries to put the power down. I would not cast the blame on Gastly yet, but certainly his engineers are not doing a good job for him.

I think we all know Gasly is faster than he is showing at the moment.
RBR have gone all in on team Verstappen to the detriment of everything else and it shows.
They can't setup Gasly's car. can't figure out a qualy strategy for him and usually have a shaite race strategy for him too. They can't even get a pit stop right for him.
It's a mess over there and I blame Horner for the culture of ineptitude over there.
They totally screwed Ricciardo in the 2nd half of last year and really don't give a crap about Gasly either. He was brought in to be a stooge for verstappen and so far it is playing out exactly as I predicted.
And while we are on it, thet FIA should really look into how the STR team is being managed. (or lack of it)

[Nitrodaze]

RBR have gone all in on team Verstappen to the detriment of everything else and it shows.
They can't setup Gasly's car. can't figure out a qualy strategy for him and usually have a shaite race strategy for him too. They can't even get a pit stop right for him.
It's a mess over there and I blame Horner for the culture of ineptitude over there.
They totally screwed Ricciardo in the 2nd half of last year and really don't give a crap about Gasly either. He was brought in to be a stooge for verstappen and so far it is playing out exactly as I predicted.
And while we are on it, thet FIA should really look into how the STR team is being managed. (or lack of it)

I hope this is not the case. If it is, then they are doing a fine job of screwing the career of a driver that many think is world championship winning material. What we seeing at the moment looks ugly to say the least. Two races in a row those crap Redbull engineers could not setup his car right. I did say if he got Ricciados engineers, he is f**ked, that is looking like the case.

The engineers on that side of the garage are notoriously shite. They screwed Ricciado of a win Monaco if you remember. Ricciados setup was hit and miss most of 2018. It looks like they have the trainee engineers on that side of the garage.

It is not surprising that Gasly has ended up where we typically found Ricciado in 2018.

[gm99]

Gasly has been very inconsistent even last year. Terrible on his debut in Melbourne, great in Bahrain, nowhere in China, the list goes on...
Also, it's not the sole responsibilty of the engineers to set up the car, AFAIK the driver has something to do with it as well. Ricciardo may have been "unlucky" last year, but he was fast. Gasly so far is nowhere near where DR was last year.

[truefan72]

Gasly has been very inconsistent even last year. Terrible on his debut in Melbourne, great in Bahrain, nowhere in China, the list goes on...
Also, it's not the sole responsibilty of the engineers to set up the car, AFAIK the driver has something to do with it as well. Ricciardo may have been "unlucky" last year, but he was fast. Gasly so far is nowhere near where DR was last year.

Those are solid points too. The shenanigans with the team don't help though. But you are right that gasly wasn't that impressive last year either. TBH they would have been better off with kvyatt in that seat. Or Ocon wherlein or even VanDoorne. But they insist on their driver program that has cannibalized its own drivers and probably ruined more careers than developed.

[The Black Knight]

RBR have gone all in on team Verstappen to the detriment of everything else and it shows.
They can't setup Gasly's car. can't figure out a qualy strategy for him and usually have a shaite race strategy for him too. They can't even get a pit stop right for him.
It's a mess over there and I blame Horner for the culture of ineptitude over there.
They totally screwed Ricciardo in the 2nd half of last year and really don't give a crap about Gasly either. He was brought in to be a stooge for verstappen and so far it is playing out exactly as I predicted.
And while we are on it, thet FIA should really look into how the STR team is being managed. (or lack of it)

I can’t agree with you on this.

Can you point out to me how Ricciardo was screwed by RBR last year? And the claim they would prioritise one driver over the other so early in the season, it just doesn’t make sense for any team to do that. He has had two unlucky races. I can’t really see it as much more than that right now.

[N. Jones]

I'm ready to write off Kubica as he is definitely not a long term solution. Gasly on the other hand. He looks out of his depth. Do we need to give him more time?

[The Black Knight]

The Bahrain GP was a really good race. I thoroughly enjoyed it although with Liverpool and Spurs on at the same time it was hard to catch them both.

I’m not convinced that we’re seeing a new Bottas at all this year. He had a good race in Oz but it’s hard to know how good he really was given Lewis’s problems. A great start to the race to get second but made a mistake and lost it. Being almost 30 seconds behind your teammate is pretty shocking. He apparently had a plastic bag stuck in his front wing for some of the race so we can forgive him maybe 10 seconds of that but the rest is pure pace to Lewis which is pretty awful given he had no other issues. Jury out on where he really stands this year still but based on what we’ve seen so far, I don’t hold my breath that he’s going to be a huge improvement over last year.

What to say about Vettel? He has a real problem in close combat, he keeps spinning. What’s more now is that other drivers know his weakness so they are going to have a go at him being comfortable in the knowledge that there's a good chance he’ll either concede or eventually spin. I think Lewis has his number and it showed in the overtakes Lewis tried to do. I don’t think he would have attempted around the corner of turn 4 last year but he knew he could push him into a mistake and he did. Leclerc also had Vettel's number this weekend, which didn’t surprise me too much. It’s going to be a headache for Ferrari this year. I think Leclerc can outperform Vettel, if not this year, then definitely next year over the course of the season, so what Ferrari will do is going to be interesting to watch. And Leclerc ignored team orders to pass as well so it seems. He was supposed to stay behind for another two laps and passed at the end of the straight. I think Ferrari would have left him go by anyway given the pace differential so it wasn’t a huge deal, Vettel was just much slower than him.

Ferrari could have reliability issues. They have made a super quick car but appear to have pushed the envelope of performance vs reliability a little too far which could explain their lack of Australia pace and one of their cars not finishing the race. Interested to see how that one pans out over the course of the season but, given the reliability of Mercedes and all other teams nowadays, multiple DNF’s will cost you a championship and potentially allow RBR to overtake them in championship too if the reliability is very poor.

Renault - how much bad luck can you have? Hopefully they will come back. Hulkenberg and Ricciardo seems like it’s going to be an interesting pairing to watch.

Finally, good race from Kimi. He’s been super consistent in the Alfa Romeo and done a top job so far.

[journeyman racer]

lol

[journeyman racer]

You'd hope that it isn't a new Bottas this year? Otherwise Hamilton fans won't be able to enjoy watching the races. British psychiatrists will also be inundated with work.

You've got to love the logic though. Bottas has a barnstormer of a race putting 20secs on Hamilton, and it's all down to a minor break of the bodywork. Then the situation is reversed in Bahrain, and Hamilton is god again while Bottas is a ********. So according to TBK, the break of Hamilton's car in Melbourne cost him 40+secs!!!

Makes sense...

It's only two races. So far though they tell contrasting stories for Bottas. If Bottas drove perfectly last year, he'd still at best finish 2nd. In Melbourne, he was perfect and won. In Bahrain, he was terrible and struggled with difficulties and still finished 2nd. Whereas last year in a similar situation, he'd be 4th or worse.

As long as the points are close and Ferrari are no threat, MB won't be favouring team orders for Hamilton like they did last year. Never mind not allowing Bottas challenge for the win in Germany and the Russia thing. After Canada, Vettel took the championship lead by 1pt from Hamilton with Bottas about 35 back. Vettel/Ferrari were a serious threat for the championship, and MB weren't going to be complacent or appease a theatre going audience.

It's not just Germany and Russia. It was all the remaining races and prior to the weekend beginning. Everything would've been done to ensure Hamilton's result was optimised. A 1-2 in the championship would've been ideal, but it's not the priority. Not only did Bottas not win a race last year, he didn't even beat Hamilton in head to head once after Canada, 14 races. Unknowledgeable fans think it's a superiority of Hamilton all due to an inherent gift? No, there's always a lot more to racing than seen.

That's how teams operate. That's why they let Bottas get some glory with the FL stats. That's why they offer him another contract when some of you would've burnt him at the stake think you knew better. They know he's capable and was pulling his weight. But under the circumstances, his result were expendable.


And Bottas is 4 seconds behind Hamilton after 8 laps. So much for his title contender status.

20 remaining races. It took the first 8 laps.

I wonder what took you so long?

[Nitrodaze]

Gasly has been very inconsistent even last year. Terrible on his debut in Melbourne, great in Bahrain, nowhere in China, the list goes on...
Also, it's not the sole responsibilty of the engineers to set up the car, AFAIK the driver has something to do with it as well. Ricciardo may have been "unlucky" last year, but he was fast. Gasly so far is nowhere near where DR was last year.

Much of last year, Torro Rosso was the guinea pig of Honda and Redbull. Inconsistencies could be due to the engine development programmes that Torro Rosso had to try out in the races. When it ran good, Gasly was always up there in the top ten. I was kind of hoping to see his true potential this year in the Redbull. But he has languished at the bottom end of the midfield in a car that is capable of podium positions. And this is not because the junior champ has suddenly forgotten how to race. It is more a case of not having the car he likes under him.

[truefan72]

I see Ferrari tried their best to keep LeClerc behind Vettel. SMH
http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/26421674/charles-leclerc-ignored-ferrari-team-orders-bahrain

[The Black Knight]

I see Ferrari tried their best to keep LeClerc behind Vettel. SMH
http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/26421674/charles-leclerc-ignored-ferrari-team-orders-bahrain

Mentioned that in my previous post. Don’t think they did their level best when they said stay behind for two laps. I don’t think they could have kept him behind with that pace difference so early in the race.

[Nitrodaze]

I see Ferrari tried their best to keep LeClerc behind Vettel. SMH
http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/26421674/charles-leclerc-ignored-ferrari-team-orders-bahrain

This pairing is one to watch this season. I think Vettel is going to have to drive out of his skin to keep the rookie behind. Somehow, l think Leclerc may have the measure of Vettel this season. But l fully expect it to hot up as we go into the final races of the first quarter. Binotto have a job on his hands, no doubt.

[Starter]

This pairing is one to watch this season. I think Vettel is going to have to drive out of his skin to keep the rookie behind. Somehow, l think Leclerc may have the measure of Vettel this season. But l fully expect it to hot up as we go into the final races of the first quarter. Binotto have a job on his hands, no doubt.
LeClerc should not (normally) be this competitive this early. Vettel will definitely have his hands full. We'll see how the season progresses. I'm looking forward to one of the more interesting seasons in a while.

[airshifter]

LeClerc should not (normally) be this competitive this early. Vettel will definitely have his hands full. We'll see how the season progresses. I'm looking forward to one of the more interesting seasons in a while.

I would think by now Ferrari would let the youngster race, and quit catering to Vettel. I think they are often their own worst enemy when they do that so early in the season.

Overall I think Vettel has slipped. He did well when in the strongest car, but in the past couple of years he has been making a lot of mistakes that are costing him points.

If Ferrari can hold it together, I think there is a good chance that Leclerc will be their first new WDC since Kimi. We know Alonso could have got it done in a stronger car, but I tend to think that Seb has missed his chances unless team politics come into the picture.

[Zico]

Overall I think Vettel has slipped. He did well when in the strongest car, but in the past couple of years he has been making a lot of mistakes that are costing him points.

Yep, every time I see him spin, I cant help but think that he really needs the old RBs with the blown diffusers to be at his best. He looked unbeatable back then... now he just looks a mid tier driver.

[journeyman racer]

Just something to consider. I emphasise "consider". Nico Rosberg, in one of his YT videos of Bahrain, pointed out that Bahrain is an (I'm paraphrasing) easy circuit for a new guy, less experienced, or disadvantageous driver. Pointing out his FL he set on debut, numerous guys getting their first PP there, and it was the first time Hamilton got the better of Alonso in 07.*

There's still a long way to go for the season to play out. Obviously Leclerc will have his weekend where he gets the better of Vettel, but Rosberg does make a worthwhile point.

*After all these years, I've found another statistic in the Alonso/Hamilton stoush Hamilton fans won't like. Alonso beat Hamilton head to head that year, 10-7.

[The Black Knight]

Yep, every time I see him spin, I cant help but think that he really needs the old RBs with the blown diffusers to be at his best. He looked unbeatable back then... now he just looks a mid tier driver.

Did he ever look like anything other really apart from his first win? There’s no doubting Vettel is super talented but I think he was always made look better than what he was because of the machinery he had and a teammate he could easily cover with Mark Webber. As soon as he had a top teammate in Daniel Ricciardo he could not live with him. From the first race in Oz where Daniel out qualified Vettel, he really looked like he had the upper hand over Vettel all year long. He couldn’t even score a race win while Ricciardo takes 3 that year.

And before 2014 he had shown glimpses of being prone to cracking under pressure. Canada 2011 for example where he gifted Button the win by running wide at turn 6.

Maybe Vettel will come back and prove me wrong. I actually hope he does but right now, I agree he very much looks like an ordinary mid tier driver and he has for some time.

[Nitrodaze]

Yep, every time I see him spin, I cant help but think that he really needs the old RBs with the blown diffusers to be at his best. He looked unbeatable back then... now he just looks a mid tier driver.

Vettel needs to feel consistency in his car to perform at his best. When things were inconsistent at Redbull, he had a poor showing against an hungry rookie eager to prove himself. That situation proves nothing. It certainly does not prove that Ricciado is better than Vettel at his best. I think Vettel would emerge when the Ferrari proves to be consistently fast and reliable. This is an opportunity for Leclerc to take some easy advantages and wins. But l think this would change very quickly when Vettel gets his head in the right place.

I certainly don't buy the comments that Vettel won four world title because he had the car to do it and there were no credible contenders to make his wins harder than it was. You could easily say the same for every world champion that has been. Vettel, like Hamilton and Ricciado, had a shaky start to the 2019 season. Hamilton has recovered from a brusing loss to Bottas at Australia. The Mercedes pair resumed the status quo when we arrived in Bahrain, with Bottas adrift by some margin. Vettel need to do the same at China at least. He struggled to get his setup to its optimum in Bahrain and was slower all weekend as a result. The same can be said for Ricciado who is having is arse kicked by Hulkenburg.

I would say, don't write off Vettel yet, he is going to get it right soon l hope.

[N4D13]

20 remaining races. It took the first 8 laps.

I wonder what took you so long?
I admit I was wrong to jump to conclusions here. I saw Bottas lagging behind Hamilton as had been the case for a large part of 2018 and I already decided that he was back to his slow self, only to later discover that he had car damage.


Just something to consider. I emphasise "consider". Nico Rosberg, in one of his YT videos of Bahrain, pointed out that Bahrain is an (I'm paraphrasing) easy circuit for a new guy, less experienced, or disadvantageous driver. Pointing out his FL he set on debut, numerous guys getting their first PP there, and it was the first time Hamilton got the better of Alonso in 07.*
I'd point out that the Hamilton/Alonso comparison here isn't particularly useful given that a screen fell on top of Alonso's car and damaged it, so the car handling was not quite there, which may explain the large difference in both drivers' performances that weekend (notably, it was the only time in the first five races in which McLaren didn't get both drivers on the podium).

[Zico]

Vettel needs to feel consistency in his car to perform at his best. When things were inconsistent at Redbull, he had a poor showing against an hungry rookie eager to prove himself. That situation proves nothing. It certainly does not prove that Ricciado is better than Vettel at his best. I think Vettel would emerge when the Ferrari proves to be consistently fast and reliable. This is an opportunity for Leclerc to take some easy advantages and wins. But l think this would change very quickly when Vettel gets his head in the right place.

I certainly don't buy the comments that Vettel won four world title because he had the car to do it and there were no credible contenders to make his wins harder than it was. You could easily say the same for every world champion that has been. Vettel, like Hamilton and Ricciado, had a shaky start to the 2019 season. Hamilton has recovered from a brusing loss to Bottas at Australia. The Mercedes pair resumed the status quo when we arrived in Bahrain, with Bottas adrift by some margin. Vettel need to do the same at China at least. He struggled to get his setup to its optimum in Bahrain and was slower all weekend as a result. The same can be said for Ricciado who is having is arse kicked by Hulkenburg.

I would say, don't write off Vettel yet, he is going to get it right soon l hope.


He must have had an 'inconsistant' car for quite a while then.... 4 spins last year and 1 spin already this year is pretty poor form in my book. I'd expect that from a fresh rookie, not from a worthy 4 time WDC.
I'll also expect a worthy 4 time WDC to totally destroy LeClerc over the course of this season with no need for team orders.. so I'm not going to write him off just yet, if he at least achieves that I'll give him his dues and that will likely alter my opinion of him.

Post RedBull it looks more and more that he chokes when under any real pressure and that is the basis for my opinions.. but lets wait and see if he can over come that this season.

[Tazio]

ALFA Romeo is the only team name that features in both the 1st GP and the 1000th Grand Prix’.